


Pang

by lethalsouffle



Category: Bob's Burgers (Cartoon)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Casual, Confession, Crushing, High School, I don't really know what to tag this I'm sorry :), M/M, One Shot, Short One Shot, long distance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:47:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27486757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lethalsouffle/pseuds/lethalsouffle
Summary: Duncan goes back home for the final summer of high school and Sasha realizes he misses his closest friend and maybe wants something more.
Relationships: Duncan (Bob's Burgers)/Sasha Whiteman
Kudos: 4





	Pang

It had been two weeks since Duncan flew back to New Zealand for their final summer break of high school when Sasha finally got around to messaging him. He casually typed something out and didn’t think much of it. _Something something small talk, something something how was the flight_.

And then Duncan wrote back. A lengthy paragraph about road trips and mountains and beaches and sunburns. He seemed more… calm in this paragraph than he ever did on King’s Head, more himself, more alive. It was like his lungs only filled to capacity in New Zealand, like there was something that held him back in Seymour’s Bay. Sasha felt a sudden pang in his stomach. Something unfamiliar, something bitter and acidic. Jealousy? No. What did he have to be jealous of? Some islands in the southern Pacific with gorgeous scenery and wildlife? Please.

But still, Sasha’s hands hovered over the keyboard his fingers playing out the ghost motions of words that he could type back before thinking better. Careful not to touch a key, not to cause those three dots to pop up on Duncan’s end and give away his pensiveness. Not that Duncan would be waiting for Sasha’s response, not that he had nothing better to do. He breathed slowly. How do you respond to so many words about so many things that you could never be a part of? What response could there be to missing out?

_That sounds awesome, Dunc. I wish I could see NZ with a local._

Sasha looked away from his laptop, closing it. No need to sit and wait, there are better uses of time… He reopened it.

_You should come visit sometime :)_

His heart flutters for half a second. “What is happening to me? Do I—no. No.” He typed without even thinking and hit send.

_Lol yeah. That could be fun :)_

“Fuck, maybe.”

* * *

The next few days continued with small, short conversations everyday. Eventually they began calling for hours, Sasha falling into Duncan’s words and accent more with every minute. They would call around 7pm every night, just after noon for Duncan, and their talk became less and less day-specific and more and more general life discussion. Around late July, Sasha was convinced. He like-liked Duncan and that was an issue. He began hanging up on calls with a “Bye, Dunc, talk to you soon,” before immediately whispering “I love you” after hearing the click. He was careful to make sure the call had been disconnected before saying it every time. He succeeded with each call, without fail. Duncan could never find out. It was too embarrassing and too… new.

Sasha had only been convinced for a couple days before he felt he had to tell someone but there was no one he wanted to tell but Duncan. After waking up in the middle of the night, he instinctively reached for his phone and dialled his number before realizing the time and what he was doing.

“What are you doing, Sasha?” He muttered to himself. “So, you haven’t had a crush in years—ugh, crush—that’s okay. Get a hold of yourself.” He breathed and typed out a text.

_When are you coming back again?_

_Shouldn’t you be asleep? It’s 2AM there_

_But next week :)_

_See you then, Dunc. <3_

_Go to sleep silly_

_< 3_

* * *

In the following seven days, Sasha convinced himself that he would not only confess to Duncan but that he would host a party to celebrate his return to King’s Head Island. Because that’s what normal, casual, platonic friends do, right? Isn’t it?

“Hello?”

“Duncan. Hi. Look, I have something I need to say right now before I lose it and before we get too far in this call.”

“Okay.”

“I’m planning a return party for you and I have some questions. I want your input but, you know, will veto you if they’re bad ideas.”

“Alright. You know, that’s not what I thought you were gonna say, Sasha.”

“What did you think I was going to say?”

“Nothing, nevermind.”

The rest of the call was slightly more distant. After the click, Sasha failed to say “I love you” and instead just stared distantly ahead of him. “Did Duncan think I was going to confess my like-like for him? Would that mean that he like-likes me? No, you can’t let this change anything, Sasha. Especially with the party.”

Duncan returned via a mainland airport so, even after landing, Sasha had an hour and a half or so for last minute details. The party was to be hosted at the Whitemans’ house as they have a spacious back garden to allow late summer festivities outdoors before the weather turns.

_Let me know when you land._

_Don’t want any surprises._

Sasha nails down details and irons out issues swiftly and decisively before his phone finally chirps.

_Sorry, just saw this :( we’re waiting for the ferry now_

_Damn it, Duncan, I had one request._

_That’s alright, things are pretty smooth so far :)_

_Good, I don’t want you stressing about this_

_It’s just a party_

Duncan arrives at Sasha’s house precisely 40 minutes later, with his parents. Much of the guests are already there, mostly their classmates and some of their siblings that are friends with each other. Sasha is casually, shallowly, talking to Brenda while perfectly positioned to watch the side gate and back door of the house, where any guests would be coming from. Once he saw Duncan, his stomach drops.

“Duncan!” He raises a glass in an awkward wave before leaving Brenda and heading over, grabbing a cup of punch on the way.

“Hey, Sasha. How are you doing?”

“Good. How was the flight back? Do you want a drink?”

“Long, um, sure.” Duncan takes the second, fuller cup from Sasha. “Thanks. This party is a lot, um, bigger than I thought it would be.”

“Yeah, well, I’m extra. You know that.”

“Can I talk to you somewhere… away from our entire class?”

“Of course, let’s go inside.” Sasha feels his heartrate increase, leading him to the French doors that lead into the Whitemans’ kitchen. They went into a smaller, secondary living room with a loveseat and two chairs in it, Sasha closes the door behind them.

They sit beside each other on the loveseat.

“What did you want to talk about?”

“Sasha, why did you message me this summer? You’ve never done that when I’ve gone back home, not since I came here in eighth grade.”

“I don’t know, I—we’ve been spending more time together anyway. I thought I’d see how you were doing.”

“I really like you and I wanna be your friend, Sasha. But I feel like there’s something you’re not telling me.” Duncan’s eyes are on Sasha’s but, when he says nothing, he breaks eye contact and sips from the drink. Sasha is still looking at him, thinking hard about what he could possibly say.

“What did you think I was going to say on that phone call the other day?”

“I told you, it was nothing.” Duncan sighs. “Why won’t you answer my question?”

“You won’t answer mine.” Sasha brought the cup up to his lips as an excuse to avoid speaking.

“Fine. It wasn’t nothing. It was something.” Duncan blinks and pauses to think. “With how you were setting it up and everything, I thought—I thought you were going to say you like-liked me. I know that that’s stupid now and whatever but that what I thought.”

“It isn’t stupid. I just didn’t want to tell you over the phone. I like-like you, Duncan.”

“Really, Sasha?” Duncan’s face is unreadable to Sasha in this moment.

“Yes. And, look, that’s really embarrassing, and you don’t have to say anything back. It’s okay, I get it, you’re straight.” Sasha almost thinks about leaving the room for a second before realizing that the very idea of not getting a response right now, in this moment, is unfathomable to him.

They sit in silence for a moment, Sasha’s heart a beating lump in his throat.

“Well, I’m not actually. I, uh, didn’t really know how to tell you either. I like-like you, too. I don’t think I know what that means, though. I’ve never—”

“Me neither, Dunc, not really. We’ll figure it out.” Sasha grabs for Duncan’s closest hand and holds it tight.


End file.
